


Instinct

by booksindalibrary



Series: Forgetting is a myth [2]
Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, it's basically shinwoo remembering shit while dealing with the relationship that is yuna/M-21, memory recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-01 04:10:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksindalibrary/pseuds/booksindalibrary
Summary: Shinwoo remembers.





	Instinct

**Author's Note:**

> same notes as last time. shinwoo refers to M-21 as 'mister' and frankenstein as 'the chairman'.

Shinwoo saw flashes of blood on his knuckles - and sometimes it was accompanied by a stinging sensation. More often than not it felt like he was hitting a concrete wall; other times like he was hitting a corpse. Both times whoever - whatever - he was fighting refused to go down. It - or them - was mocking him, with shining red eyes and a sneer.

Regardless, it was just a hallucination. A figment of his imagination, even if he saw the distressed faces of his friends behind him, and the sense that if he lost, it'd be game over.

'Game over', like in a game, except it was a game over for everything. There was no restart, he couldn't just hit 'new game' and conquer it. That's the feeling he had, anyway. Barely anything to go by, but he trusted his instinct.

Aside from the tears of his friends and the blood on his hands and the pain in his hands, the aching of his ribs and the winded feeling he had, he knew nothing. Was it a dream? A memory?

As quickly as it happened he dismissed it, and resumed life as normal.

* * *

When Yuna became more and more pale, strained under the pressure of _something_ , he had to wonder. He didn't make the connection - didn't want to - but damn if he wasn't worried. But then after a month or so, she seemed to get better. Better rested, and closer with mister. He didn't know if it was romantic or what, it if it made her happy...

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed, but he was glad for her. He knew full well how she felt, and knew mister was a good person. Even if he did kidnap-

He slammed the thought down.

"Mister's a good person," he told himself, forgetting Ikhan was near.

"You say something?" Ikhan asked, but Shinwoo grinned and changed the subject.

* * *

"Yuna," Shinwoo waved. She wave back, mister beside her. _Well,_ he thought, _the distance between them doesn't seem 'romantic' in the slightest._

"Are we going to the PC room?" She asked as they neared.

"Sure," Ikhan agreed. "But, Yuna..." he glanced at mister. "Is mister...?"

"I had something to tell him," Yuna said cheerfully. Mister nodded, turning away. It probably wasn't a confession, to be fair, Shinwoo thought as he bitch-slapped his envy. Neither were acting like it, and he doubted Yuna would confess where anyone could see them.

He glanced at mister, this time studying him. Why his mind told him to punch him was strange. He didn't own Yuna, why the fuck would he care about who she dated?

"Let's head off then," Shinwoo said easily. They and mister parted ways, and Shinwoo hated the flood of relief he felt.

* * *

Each night, he remembered more and more. The memories came in fits and starts, sneaking into his mind during he most mundane of tasks. Sometimes he'd be idle, other times occupied; when he slept, he was at peace, thankfully. It meant he didn't wake up screaming in the middle of class, babbling about vampires and mind control.

Just like with Yuna, it took its toll. Unlike Yuna, he was better at hiding it.

Until, of course, he snapped.

* * *

Mister was standing in front of Yuna, and the bros were watching them. They must've been joking about something - or Yuna was, at least. Takeo looked polite, Tao genuinely enjoying himself, mister being... mister. He's always been the hardest to read, even if they've known him the longest.

Shinwoo approached by himself - everyone else was doing something else, much to his disappointment. He waved the group down, grinning.

"What're you guys talking-" Shinwoo froze mid-sentence when he looked at Tao.

Tao's hand had twitched, but fuck, it set _something_ off inside of Shinwoo, and his hand lashed out by itself, aiming for Tao's face. His body twisted and went into a defensive stance, his body relaxed and his eyes - glazed and unfocused, staring at phantoms.

"Sh-Shinwoo?" Yuna touched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Get behind me," but his voice sounded wrong, coming out in ragged gasps. His arms turned to lead, his muscles straining to stay upright. Instinct was yelling at him to _fight back_ and _protect._

"Shinwoo, there's no danger." Yuna's voice coaxed the fog away, and Shinwoo returned to reality.

The trio were staring at him, concerned, Yuna puzzled, and the school was whispering about him. Again.

"...Shit."

* * *

"So you decided to put on a show in front of the school," the chairman sighed, the familiar look of weariness overcoming him.

"Yup," Shinwoo agreed, sprawled out on the couch.

"Any reason why?"

Shinwoo paused. "Does it matter?"

"You don't normally behave like that," the chairman said kindly, surprising Shinwoo. "You do fight, granted, but you aren't one to normally do so unprovoked."

"I don't know why," Shinwoo said after a moment. He had an idea, but it was more of a hunch. Not something he wanted to say, either. "My body just acted on its own."

The chairman nodded. "Do you think it'll happen again?"

Shinwoo was silent for a moment. "Do you...ever think you remember something you shouldn't?"

He noted how the chairman's shoulders tensed when the chairman said, "Sometimes, yes."

"Chairman. Is Rai human?" Shinwoo knew he  _wasn't._ He was there when strange things happened - he saw it with his own eyes. 

Said chairman froze, then sighed. "You're remembering too?"

"Too?" Shinwoo echoed. "Wait, who else has...? You mean these memories are  _real_?" Then the pieces clicked. "Oh. Yuna."

The chairman looked at him sympathetically. "I'll see if there's a way to erase your memories," he said. "For Yuna, there wasn't, not without seriously damaging her mind."

Shinwoo frowned. "How does that work? And does this mean Yuna and mister are actually an item?"

"Something to do with her emotions," the chairman sidestepped. Then he frowned back at Shinwoo. "An item? Are they?"

 "Well..." Shinwoo waved a hand vaguely. "They could be..."

The chairman considered this, then shrugged. "Are you worried about it?"

"I'm worried about who mister is," Shinwoo said bluntly.

The chairman blinked, taken aback for a brief moment. Then he understood. "Ah."

"So? Do you think mister'll...?"

"He wouldn't be working here if I thought anyone was in the slightest bit of danger," he said bluntly. Shinwoo relaxed at this, and nodded at the chairman.

"All right."

* * *

The lack of answers annoyed Shinwoo, but he played it down. He pretended the trauma wasn't as bad as he thought it was, he tried to get better sleep, and most of all, he tried to drop hints to Yuna about it. Eventually Yuna  _did_ pick up on it, looking at him strangely.

"Shinwoo," she said, unexpectedly serious while the others weren't listening, "do you  _remember_?"

Shinwoo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you mean... you know, the orange juice?" His tone implied it was something bigger than just orange juice.

Yuna flinched. "Well..."

"Of maybe the vampires," Shinwoo continued lightly.

Yuna's eyes widened. "So you do-"

"What's this about vampires?" Suyi joined their conversation unexpectedly.

"A new dating sim with vampires. I thought Yuna might like it," Shinwoo explained.

Ikhan gave him a knowing look, which Shinwoo missed.

* * *

 

 "Mister knows I remember," Yuna said to explain why he was there. That didn't explain why Tao, Takeo, Rai and the chairman were there as well.

Actually, no, he knew. They were gathered to half-heartedly solve the mystery of Shinwoo.

"Shinwoo knows as well? This is ruining the nobles' reputation." Tao's light tone was at odds with his studying gaze. "It explains why you took a swing at me, though. No hard feelings."

Shinwoo nodded, grinning back. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just sort of lost myself..."

"No hard feelings," Tao said again, reassuringly.

The chairman cleared his throat almost delicately. "Gentlemen."

"Right." Shinwoo didn't change his posture, but he did look more alert.

"Master?" It was incredibly weird to see the chairman actually calling Rai that, but given the stunts Shinwoo's seen him pull, he shouldn't be surprised 

Rai's gaze focused on Shinwoo for a brief moment before he shook his head. "Shinwoo's memories can't be erased."

"Like Yuna?" Tao asked.

"Why doesn't Yuna-?" He caught the look Yuna glanced at Shinwoo, then realised it was probably her crush.

Why she's crushing on a kidnapper so hard that she no longer can't be mind-wiped is another mystery. Then again, seeing as mister wasn't as bad as their first meetings, he could let it go.

Of course, it didn't explain why Shinwoo remembered.

"So what about Shinwoo?" Tao said the question on everyone's mind.

Rai only shook his head wordlessly.

Shinwoo wasn't in love with anyone like how Yuna loved mister. He didn't think he wanted to remember, or-

It dawned on him.

"I want to protect everyone?"

Everyone stared at him, then the chairman nodded slowly. "That works. Fits you."

"It makes sense when you think about how he reacted to Tao," Takeo added.

Mister shifted uncomfortably. "Weird it was Tao." And not me, the unspoken part hanging in the air.

"Tao was the one that moved."

Yuna stood abruptly, looking at her phone. "I have to go..." She smiled sheepishly at everyone.

"I'll walk you," mister said before Shinwoo could say it. Shinwoo closed his mouth with a click. So they were like that, he noted.

"I'll be off as well," Shinwoo said. "Thanks for not calling me crazy."

"Any time," Tao replied, and the three of them left.

(Shinwoo made a point to go a different way, to give Yuna time alone with mister.)

**Author's Note:**

> Awkward ending, confusing narrative... But whatever, I love these nerds. Heh.


End file.
